Friday, February 05, 2010

I was there on Monday and I saw that grapes were $3.99 a pound and I said to myself (but out loud, apparently), "Who's going to buy grapes at $3.99 a pound? Not me."

I refused.

And this man who was standing not too far from the grapes with a large selection of red grapes in his basket said, "Three-ninety-nine a pound? Maybe I shouldn't buy these..."

And he puts his hand on his grapes cautiously.

He hadn't noticed the price (or probably had no idea what the price should be) and seemed to be conducting a back-and-forth debate in his head (why didn't I keep mine in my head?) about whether it would be okay to put them back.

I didn't get involved.

Later, I saw him wheeling those grapes around in his basket, so I assumed that the people-shouldn't-put-produce-back-after-they've-put-it-in-a-bag part of him had won the debate with the thriftier no-one-should-pay-$3.99-a-pound-for-grapes part of him.

There could have been other factors involved, as well. If it was on his grocery list and that list was made by his wife, those grapes would have had to have been pretty expensive before he would have considered not getting them.

I could tell. He was that kind of husband. Follow the list. Get the stuff. No questions. Do not think, just follow the list. He was definitely trained.

I wonder if his wife hit him over the head with them when he got home with what looked like $12 worth of grapes.

That was Monday.

Yesterday I went to Kroger for a pill splitter. What a contraption! I thought I'd be 85 years old before my hubby sent me to the store for a pill splitter. They had been out of pill splitters, but the pharmacy called him when they got more in this week, and I went to get it. 42 years old, that's what we are. It's not normal.

So when I walked in the door at Kroger, the very first thing I noticed was that grapes were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I said, "Oh, happy day!" and grabbed a basket because I know myself. I might have been able to walk in and buy a pill splitter and leave the store without needing a basket, but if I'm getting grapes, too, I'm going to end up with a basket full of something!

When I got to the grape section in the produce area, I found a picked-over, almost-empty table. The grapes that were left were icky. I was not the only person excited about the lower price.

I didn't want old, cheaper grapes, just cheaper grapes. I asked if there were fresh ones in the back, and sure enough, the boy brought out a wagon load of beautiful, juicy, plump cheap grapes.

It was a good thrifty Thursday.

[By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16]

1 comment:

I own a pill splitter and I am not even close to being old. It was for my dog! =P She even had one of those pill boxes that divides out a months worth of medicine. Yeah, after her vet bills/meds, etc. I couldn't afford grapes! ;D